The second edition of this text was published in 1999, and since that time many improvements have taken place in instrumentation performance and versatility. This third edition reviews these many changes and how they impact the way thermographers operate, deploy, calibrate, and test the new instruments. In addition, the instruments that have been made essentially obsolete are reviewed as part of the historical evolution of the technology.

12.2 Thermography as a Diagnostic Aid in the Early Detection of Breast Cancer 123

12.3 Veterinary Medicine 124

12.4 Biological and Threat Assessment Applications 124

Appendix A Commercial Instrument Performance Characteristics 127

Appendix B Manufacturers of IR Sensing and Imaging Instruments 145

Appendix C Table of Generic Normal Emissivities of Materials 149

Appendix D A Glossary of Terms for the Infrared Thermographer 155

Preface

The mapping of infrared (IR) energy radiated from the surface of natural and manufactured
objects makes it possible to detect and recognize objects in the dark and
under adverse weather and atmospheric conditions. Quantification of this energy
allows users (thermographers) to determine the temperature and thermal behavior
of objects.

Infrared thermal sensing and imaging instruments make it possible to measure
and map surface temperature and thermal distribution passively and nonintrusively.
In addition to the passive measurement of temperature distribution, thermographers
have learned to use active or "thermal injection" techniques to study and evaluate
the structural integrity of materials and fabricated bonds.

To provide the practical information needed for users to select the instrument most appropriate for their application;

To describe how to perform valid and successful measurements in a variety of applications;

To serve as a reference to help thermographers examine the validity of new applications.

This text is presented in two parts.

Part I begins with a review of temperature, heat, and heat transfer, with emphasis
on radiative heat transfer and its relationship to IR radiation and measurement basics.
Physical laws (equations) are presented in terms of their practical importance
to the measurement mission.

This is followed by a review and discussion of the characteristics and performance
parameters of IR sensing and imaging instruments, including a review of
thermal imaging diagnostic software. Adiscussion of equipment operation follows,
including guidelines for making successful measurements.

Part I concludes with a section on training and training programs, highlighting
the importance of formal operator training and certification.

What's New?

The second edition of this text was published in 1999, and since that time many improvements
have taken place in instrumentation performance and versatility. For
example, the almost total replacement of opto-mechanically scanned imagers with
focal plane array (FPA)-based "staring" imagers has reduced the size, increased the
ruggedness, and improved the spatial resolution of IR cameras, all of which have
changed thermographers' expectations of camera performance.

Thus, this third edition reviews these many changes and how they impact the
way thermographers operate, deploy, calibrate, and test the new instruments. In addition,
the instruments that have been made essentially obsolete are reviewed as
part of the historical evolution of the technology.

The first six classifications are self-explanatory; the seventh is a catch-all to include
the introduction of new instrumentation or experimental techniques. Papers on subjects
classified as "R&D" one year will often be included in one of the other classifications
in subsequent years as the instrumentation or techniques mature.

Although these classifications have evolved somewhat over the years, they represent
reasonable subdivisions. Therefore, the chapters in Part II are organized in
general accordance with these classifications.

To assist the user in instrument selection, Appendix A contains a tabulation of
currently available instruments by category and manufacturer, including a digest of
performance characteristics and features. Appendix B is a current index of manufacturers'
websites, addresses, and phone numbers.

The text also includes quick reference charts and tables to aid the user in on-site
measurements (Appendix C) and a glossary of IR/thermography terms (Appendix D).

I would like to acknowledge the contributions of the following organizations
for providing data and background for this text:

I would like to express my thanks to Rob Spring, P.E., of Snell Infrared, for his dedication
to training in our technology, and for applying his instructor's eye to the expert
review of this third edition.

I would also like to express my thanks to Paul Zayicek of Electric Power Research
Institute's NDE Center for his professionalism, his vigorous promotion of
IR thermography, his many contributions to the body of knowledge in thermography,
and for reviewing the second edition of this text (1999).

Finally, I would like to express my appreciation to Ron Lucier of FLIR Systems
Inc. for his careful and conscientious review of the first edition of this text (1993),
and for his many contributions to the first and subsequent editions.